How to Hide or Show Network Icon in Windows 11 File Explorer

Why hide or show the Network icon in 🪟 Windows 11?

Hiding the Network icon gives you a cleaner sidebar if you never share files across your local network. Showing it again brings back the quickest route to shared folders, printers and media devices on your network.

Neither change needs a restart. File Explorer 📁 updates the sidebar as soon as you apply the setting.

What happens when you are done?

When you finish, the Network icon either disappears from the File Explorer 📁 sidebar or appears in it. This change is purely visual. Your PC keeps its network connection, and your shared drives are not disconnected or removed. You can still reach network locations by typing the path directly into the address bar.

To undo the change, repeat the same steps and switch the option back.

How to show or hide the Network icon in File Explorer

Managing the network icon's visibility in the sidebar takes just a few clicks. The quickest way is to right-click the empty space in the left navigation pane and select the option that toggles the Network icon on or off. Follow the steps below.

If you cannot see the option in the right-click menu, your Windows 11 build may not include it yet. Update Windows, or use the Folder Options method further down.

1. Open File Explorer by pressing the Windows Key + E.
2. Right-click in the empty space below the Network icon in the left sidebar.
3. Select Show Network to either hide or show it.

If the right-click menu does not show the option, or you prefer a settings window, use the Folder Options menu instead. Work through the steps in order. You should see a window with a few tabs, and the sidebar setting lives in the navigation pane options.

1. Click the three-dot menu icon at the top of the File Explorer window.
2. Select Options.
3. On the Folder Options window, click the View tab.
4. Look for the setting that says Show Network.
5. Check or uncheck the box to show or hide the icon.
6. Click OK to save your changes.

After you apply the change, look at the left pane of File Explorer. The Network entry should now be gone or back, depending on what you chose. If it has not changed, close the File Explorer window and open a new one.

Troubleshooting: Why is my network icon missing from the taskbar?

A missing network icon on the taskbar is a separate problem from the one in File Explorer. It usually comes down to two things. Either the taskbar's system tray settings are hiding it, or the network adapter is disabled. The network adapter is the hardware component that connects your PC to the internet and other devices. Start with the taskbar settings, and turn the network display switch back to on.

1. Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
2. Click Taskbar corner overflow.
3. Ensure the toggle for Network is set to On.

If the icon is still missing, check the adapter. A disabled network adapter often makes the icon vanish. Open Network & Internet settings and verify the adapter status. A disabled adapter is shown greyed out, and you can enable it from its right-click menu.

How to restart Windows Explorer to fix missing icons

Graphical glitches happen occasionally in Windows 11. Restarting the shell process, Windows Explorer, often brings back missing elements. Expect the taskbar and any open File Explorer windows to disappear for a moment and then return. Save your work first, because File Explorer windows will close.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Find Windows Explorer in the list.
3. Right-click it and select Restart.

Does updating network drivers fix the missing icon issue?

Outdated or damaged drivers can also cause display problems. If the icon is still wrong, check the network adapter driver:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Expand the Network adapters category. You should see your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter listed.
3. Right-click the adapter and select Update driver. Follow the prompts to let Windows search for a newer driver.
4. If that does not help, right-click the adapter again, select Uninstall device and confirm.
5. Restart the PC. Windows detects the hardware at startup and reinstalls the driver fresh.

Your connection will drop between the uninstall and the restart, so make sure you can finish the process offline.

Advanced configuration: Registry and Group Policy

You can also use the Registry Editor to hide the icon. This works on any edition, Home included. You need administrative permissions, and a wrong edit can cause problems, so back up the registry or create a restore point first. Go to the key shown below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Create a new DWORD value named NoNetHood and set it to 1. This hides the icon. You may need to sign out and back in, or restart Windows Explorer, before File Explorer reflects the change. To undo it, set the value back to 0 or delete the value.

Can I remove the network icon from the lock screen?

A separate security setting can hide network indicators on the sign-in screen. This is not about File Explorer. It only affects what people see before they log in. You need administrative privileges, and the Group Policy Editor is available only on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education, not Home.

1. Press the Windows key plus R, type gpedit.msc and press Enter. The Local Group Policy Editor opens.
2. Go to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon.
3. Find the policy Remove network connectivity indicator from the lock screen and double-click it. If your build lists it under a different name, look in the same folder for Do not display network selection UI.
4. Select Enabled, then click Apply and OK.

To undo it, set the policy back to Not Configured.

Summary

Managing network indicators in Windows 11 is straightforward, whether you are cleaning up File Explorer or troubleshooting the taskbar. For the sidebar, the right-click menu or Folder Options is enough. Keep the registry and Group Policy methods for the cases where those are not.

Why is my network icon greyed out in 🪟 Windows 11?

Does hiding the network icon disconnect me from the internet?

How do I reset the network icon in 🪟 Windows 11?